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Friday, August 9, 2013

WHITT'S END: 8.9.13

Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End

*Source told me yesterday that while the Mavericks had serious discussions with 105.3 The Fan to become partners, they ultimately are staying put at 103.3 FM. Whether it's ESPN or Tickespn or whatever, for the next two years you can hear Mavs' hoops there. For Chuck Cooperstein fans like myself, that's good news.

*Putting in a claim to acquire the White Sox' Alex Rios won't save the Rangers' suddenly surging season. He's a .277 hitter with 12 homers. Without Nelson Cruz, the path to the postseason is paved with pitching and defense. Or, by playing the Angels every night. I almost felt sorry for Anaheim as Texas swept it for the second time in 10 days, but then I saw Josh Hamilton's arrogant flailing at first pitches and had to giggle. Considering his second half in 2012, he's not in a slump. More like a year-long slide below mediocrity.

*I have a guarantee about tonight's Cowboys-Raiders' preseason game: Jason Witten will have a better night than he did a year ago in Oakland. Remember?

*I wrote this week that Ticket P1s were "narrow-minded" and I've been asked to expound on that theory. Here goes: Ticket fans are so extremely loyal that they've become blind. Listeners love BaD Radio, but if Bob and Dan would've left for The Fan back in June Ticket fans wouldn't have followed their show. In fact, they would've labeled the hosts "traitors". The quality of show has been replaced - even usurped - by the location on the dial. You can be loyal to McDonald's while recognizing that Wendy's has a delicious Spicy Chicken Sandwich. But some P1s have decided that anything and everyone sold outside 1310 AM is dog shit. Kudos to The Ticket for nurturing such brand loyalty over almost 20 years. But to me, that's narrow-minded.

*A&M fans are the most sensitive, irrational bunch on the planet. C'mon Aggies, you really, honestly, believe that Johnny Goofball signed hundreds of autographs on memorabilia - assembly-line style - for zero compensation. Just because he's a good guy? Just to help out a bunch of brokers he'd never met before? Riiiiight. When this thing finally plays out we'll be reminded of the perils of hiring 20-year-old kids named "Uncle Nate" to be in charge of anything important. All that said, hopefully this is the impetus to prompt the NCAA to be Dead 'n Gone. Yesterday NCAA Prez Mark Emmert admitted a mistake and yanked all individual jerseys for sale off ShopNCAASports.com. Go away, NCAA. At this point you're part of the problem, not the solution.

*If you missed Sybil this morning co-hosting D: The Broadcast, she wore a blue dress. And a huge smile.

*Public memorial for Kidd Kraddick will be Thursday at 5:30 in Victory Park's AT&T Plaza, featuring a concert by Ben Folds. Still holding my breath at the return of the toxicology reports. Still hope it's not true, but after what I wrote last week about his late-night partying, I received a new slew of folks who heard - even witnessed - the same thing.

*So Hunter Mahan leaves the Canadian Open golf tournament he's leading to attend the birth of his child and everyone hails him as some kind of hero. Good for him. He's a solo act (other than his caddie). Not letting any teammates down like, say, Colby Lewis did once upon a time.

*Lotsa folks asking me my take on the Ticket takeover of ESPN. All I got is right here.

*If I'm Cumulus and I now control 103.3 FM, I immediately buy out the contract of Randy Galloway. As I wrote Thursday morning and as he later confirmed, he'll retire from radio when his deal expires Dec. 31. Why allow him to be a lame-duck host armed with both eff-you attitude and eff-you money? Remember, he's despised The Ticket for years and those boys have used him as a "Grandpa Urine" punch line. That's a dangerous combo. By the way, I love Galloway. Worked with him at the Star-Telegram for years and I'll always remember him taking me and Mike Fisher on a joy ride complete with multiple, illegal, obscenity-laced U-turns in his big Cadillac right in the heart of Times Square. Even then he had an eff-you persona. And by the way, if I'm The Fan, soon as Galloway is bought out by Cumulus I make him a rethink-retirement offer.

*Vintage A-Fraud from his presser this week: "I'm fighting for my life. I have to defend myself. If I don't defend myself no one else will." Okay, cool. Then delight us with the details of how you're not guilty. Go on, defend yourself. Said A-Rod, "This isn't the time or place to do that." What. The. What?!

*Creepy story out of South Dallas where Erbie "E Luv" Bowser - a former ManiAAC dancer - killed four and injured four more. Most troubling about the story is the fact that he shot kids aged 11, 13 and 14. Can't imagine ever being that mad - or deranged. Just goes to show you, though, ManiAACs are people, too.

*When I was in 7th grade American schools actually tried to switch to the Metric system. I remember the "Think Metric!" posters on our classroom walls. It failed. Miserably. So why, 30 years later, do we still sell our American soft drinks in 2-liter bottles? Why aren't they simply 67-ounce bottles?

*It's a "No Sales Tax Weekend"! To me, that's code for "Another Weekend to Avoid Malls Weekend"! Which, of course, is code for "Just Like Every Other Weekend"!

*I've got two new suggestions for you this week: A book by Brian Cuban and a band called the Texas Cotton Kings. The story of Mark Cuban's brother's journey with eating disorders, etc. is compelling stuff. And the Kings will make you feel like you're in down-home Forney, which ain't a bad place to be.

*LeBron James actually showed up for jury duty this week in Ohio. Gotta give him credit for that. He lives in Bath Township. Can't decide if that sounds exclusive or Rednecky or Amishy.

*You know it's August in Dallas when you take out the trash at 6 a.m. and return to the house in a shirt drenched in sweat. God Bless Texas.

*If you want the juice on the real-estate doings of (current and) former Cowboys' quarterbacks like Tony Romo and Troy Aikman, you should be be reading Candy Evans. She knows her scoop.

*It takes quite the man to prompt current and former employees of ESPN, The Ticket and The Fan to put down their swords long enough to amicably attend a birthday in his honor. And, yes, Bruce Gilbert is that man. The former program director at The Ticket and The Fan, who had a stint in the ESPN family, turns 50 Saturday and representatives from multiple combating radio army outlets will combine to roast him. I'm honored to be invited. Cheers.

*This weekend? Tonight let's ogle some Cowboys-Raiders. Tomorrow it's a golf tournament in Rockwall with dear ol' Dad, followed by the aforementioned birthday roast. And Sunday we'll finish up the golf tournament in the morning, then play some sand volleyball in Frisco in the afternoon. Don't be a stranger.

I just hate the shows available excluding New School. Listening to Slater is like nails on a chalkboard. Ben and Skin just suck. Mosley is ok, but who knows where he'll end up. The Ticket is just fluff to me. All insider jokes and no substance.

In regards to BaD, I think some might consider them traitors, the others that enjoy the show the way I do would follow them for the show. I know I'm not the only one here that values content over brand loyalty, but just like there are Ticket P1's, there are Fan and ESPN P1's that refuse to listen to the competition, or deny it vehemently. When I can't find anything on the local stations or I'm beating down with 10 minute commercial breaks, I tune in to Mad Dog Radio on Sirius. I think it's channel 86.

It's too late now but I wish Johnny (Cash, Football, Paycheck, Hancock, Arnold) would have gone to Texas as a defensive back. After a few practices and the futility that the Longhorns have had at the QB position, he would have been entrenched as their QB. He probably wouldn't have won the Heisman(Alabama isn't on Texas' schedule), but I'd have to think with the number of high profile skill players the 'horns have had that they would have quickly figured a way to work with Johnny instead of leaving him on a proverbial "island" that the ags have.

My wife was a Kraddick P1 and if the toxicology comes back with what you mentioned before, then he's human. Are you perfect? I know I'm not. There are some people that we look up to because we know we can never be like them and what they've created; Kraddick is one of those.

I don't listen to GAC but it would be an upgrade over B&S. Do B&S even like doing their own show? Just the vibe I get from listening that they almost don't like doing it.

Thanks for the laugh on Greggo. Interesting how he tweeted everyone(including Storm_71) that he'd be back in a week...he was too busy to blog and move at the same time (because posting a lyric and quote of the day are so time consuming)... I think most of us that were curious about Greggo are just about done with him now. Thanks for pulling back the curtain.

Man, how umcomfortable will it be at that birthday party? There will be cliques like at a high school party--Ticket-Jocks; ESPN-friends of the jocks that the jocks tolerate but talk about behind their backs; Fan-looked at as the nerds or new kids in school that no one really knows and won't try to get to know because they'll never be cool like the jocks. Except for B&S, who have been all 3 and will make fun of their former & current employers and will move freely among them all(for those of you with not a lot of talent but wanting to keep getting a job--follow this model of networking)

Yeah, Rooster, expressing an opinion contrary to RW's--and in a cogent and respectful manner, like the majority have--is dogpiling. Are you capable of adding anything of substance to the conversation? So far, you haven't.

Cue Rooster dogpile on those who disagree with RW in 5..4...3...3...

Again, Rooster, see how that works? Refutation by analogy. Grow up, son. And use your brain a bit while you're at it.

Although it's more fun to believe that the guys from all 3 sports stations hate eachother, I am sorry to inform you that's just not the case. I interned at the Ticket and had a classmate intern at the Fan, and we both experienced the same thing. For the most part, the guys are friends. They want to beat eachother professionaly, but that's the extent of the dislike.

Your ideas concerning Galloway, The FAN, and The Ticket/ESPN seem solid to me. I think your assessment of BaD listeners and narrow-mindedness are fairly off-base. You are underrating BaD's appeal and listener loyalty. Furthermore, and from the looks of it you'll either never admit to or have a cognitive/emotional block rendering you incapable of understanding this point, listeners are loyal to The Ticket for a reason: it's much better than the alternatives--and yes, that included RAGE. Truth is, many P1s would absolutely love The Ticket to have some real competition. I was excited at the prospect of BaD's move to The FAN. Especially so, if that meant their eventual taking over the p.m. drive slot. The Hardline sorely, desperately needs competition. Many many P1s I know feel the show has long grown stale, fat, happy, and has mostly devolved into TMZ with some sports talk thrown in. But, as stale as it has become, it's still better than either GAC or B&S; and it was better than RAGE. Now if the tables were turned and The FAN (with RAGE) had the same loyal listenership, etc., would you be saying as much about FAN fans? I highly doubt it. And if you're honest with us and yourself, I think you'd agree with me on this point.

I really appreciate your insights into the radio game and your industry scoops/rumors; however, it seems like you still need to put some distance between yourself and your experience at The FAN. Else you make, in what are tantamount to, baseless claims that pertain to a large number of people (many whom comprise your audience).

I'm a P1 and I too would've followed BaD Radio to the Fan. Many P1s are P1s because the quality of the other stations has been consistently sub-par. The Ticket are the standard bearers in this way. I actually enjoy New School but they're no Musers, but for the Fan they are a well done show.

The Ticket has built brand loyalty for a reason, but I think the vast majority of listeners would welcome stronger competition and more listening options. It's about quality more than station letters, and the Ticket has been savvy enough to have the best of both.

You make sense Richie in part of your theory. Alot of P1s have the "automatic" listening mind to be on that station regardless of other programming. Narrow-minded? No. That would mean that us P1s would rather listen to a screaming baby versus the opera. Speaking only for myself, there are portions of the day where I certainly jump over to GAC. There are times at night when driving home from the airport I will jump on Gbag. There are times on the weekend when I will go to both ESPN or The Fan even when The Orphanage, Shakejoint or Ticket Sports Saturday is on. Point is, yep, we are all very programmed to the programming. We have been for years. This is where you are correct. Where you are wrong is the fact that we don't have the creative fortitude to venture out and be informed or entertained elsewhere. In other words, not narrow-minded.

I'm a P1 and an Aggie. I would have followed BaD to the Fan if they had left, just like I gave RaGE and B&S a chance at times. I'm a P1 because the programming on 1310 is superior. Period.

Oh, and I won't be surprised if JFF is on the take. But I'm still glad we had one glorious year with him, and am hoping for a 2nd. A&M football is relevant again, and it's mostly because of him (Sumlin deserves at least some credit).

This turtle headed jackass once again brings up the Colby Lewis thing that he got killed on when he trolled us on the observer blogs. Any guy that has the option and chooses another day at work over the birth of their child is a piece of shit. Richie will never understand that simply because he doesn't have ovaries in his throat.

What an odd definition of "narrow-minded". Now for me, I would have followed BaD over to the fan (they're my favorite show on the little Ticket), and it sounds like most others commenting here would have done the same. But lets get back to the definition...By RW's definition of "narrow-minded", most sports fans qualify. You root for your team. If your star player signs a free agent deal with your biggest rival, do you now root for them? Or do you consider J-Ham a traitor and boo him every time he returns to the ballpark? Any Rangers fans who are not now Angels fans are, by RW's definition, "narrow-minded". Not sure that makes much sense...

I had very little respect for you and the talent you lack to do anything at all memorable. But for you to continue to spread a rumor about someone that can't defend themselves is disgusting and even low for a scum bag like you. I can get past you bragging about how great your life is, even though you failed at radio and can't admit it was cause you didn't have any talent. I can get past you constantly bragging about how hot your fiancee is, and that's a bit disturbing to me. I'm sure she has more to offer than just her looks, but it's clear that's all you have the ability to talk about is her looks. But, let it go man. Let it go that Kidd died. At some point you have to say, nah, I'm not going to post that. Rumors may exist about his drug usage, but that doesn't mean you have to continue to spread it. It's almost as if you just post it to get hits, which again leads to the whole thing about you being a massive piece of shit. Knew it from my time at CBS, knew it now. You're a shitty person. You're lucky you have minions that come and rub your ego everyday on here otherwise this stupid blog would just be another of a million blogs on the internet. And one day, the sponsors will leave, your pizza business will fail, and you will be left trying to figure out what the hell to do. Spread more rumors? Yeah, that will work.